Railroad-switch



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMEON HEYIVOOD, OF CLAREMONT, NEIV HAMPSHIRE.

A RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 21,880, dated October 26, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SlMEoN Hnrwoon, of Claremont, in the county ofSullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railroad- Switches; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,in which- Figure l, is a cross-section of my invention taken in theline` a1, ai, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a plan ointop view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingv parts in the twofigures.

This invention consists in using in connection with the ordinary switchrails a movable frog so arranged that the switch and frog will beoperated simultaneously by the movement of a single lever or shaft, andthe frog as well as the switch moved in line with the rails over whichthe train is to pass. By this improvement a continuous track is formed,thereby obviating the objections to the usual stationary frog, to wit,the danger of the cars being thrown from the track and the wear and tearof switches as well as the wheels and running gear generally of the carsin passing over switches.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention I will proceed to describe it.

A, A, represents the rails of a main and P, B, represents the rails o-fa branch track.

C, C, represent switch rails which are connected by a cross-bar D, atone end and pivoted at the opposite ends so that they may as usual bemoved laterally in line with either the direct or branch track. Theswitch rails C, C, are arranged in the usual way and therefore do notrequire a minute description.

E, represents the frog, which is a straight bar pivoted at its center toa sleeper o, the frog being allowed to turn freely on its pivot so thatit may be thrown in line wit-h either the innermost rail of the directtrack, or with the innermost rail of the branch track. This will beunderstood by referring to Fig. 2, in which the frog is shown in blackin line with the rail of the direct track and shown in red in line withthe rail of the branch track. The frog E, has a slide bar L, attached toeach end of it and the outer ends of the bars b, have each a loop c,formed thereon through which a bar F, passes.

The outer end of the bar D, of the switch rails C, C, has a loop cl,formed `on it Y through which loop a bar G, passes. The

two bars F, G, have each a rack I-I, attached and a pinion I, gears intothe racks of both bars, said pinion being between the two racks and onthe lower end of a shaft J, which has a hand wheel K, on its upper end.

The bars F, G, are not straight, they are of curved or bent form asshown clearly at ax, in Fig. 2, so that when moved longitudinallythrough their loops c, c, cl, they will actuate respectively the switchrails C, C, and the frog E.

` From the above description of parts it will be seen that by turningthe shaft J, the bars F, G, will be moved by the pinion I, and racks H,simultaneously toward and from each other and it will also be seen thatthe switch rails C, C, and frog E, will be moved simultaneously inconsequence of the curved or bent portions ax, working through the loopsc, c, d. The curved or bent portions o* of the bars F, G, are placed insuch relation to each other as to throw simultaneously the switch railsC, C, and the frog E, in line with the same track.

By this invention a continuous track is obtained and cars will pass aseasily and smoothly over the frog and switch as over other portions ofthe track. The usual stationary frog is liable to throw the cars fromthe track they do not form a connection, but leave a break or recesswhich causes concussions, injuring the wheels and jarring the wholerunning gear. The usual stationary frogs are also subjected to greatwear and require to be frequently renewed. By my invention theseobjections are obviated.

I am aware that movable frogs have been used andare now in general useespecially in city roads,but so -far as I am aware they have in allcases been used separately or detached performing the office of a switchrather than that of the original stationary plate which was known by theterm of frog. I therefore do not claim separately any of the partsshown; but,

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The arrangement and construction of the bent or curved bars F, G, havingracks H attached, and operated by a pinion J, as and for the purposesherein shown and described.

SIMEON I-IEYVVOOD.

Titnesses P. C. FREEMAN, GUlvINER PUTNAM.

